Traveler found dead in Puncak

BOGOR, West Java (JP): A man believed to have been involved in a late-night road accident was found dead in a dry water drain near here Sunday morning. He had been on a trip to the mountainous Puncak resort with 70 work colleagues.

The body of Ferry Picatoransah, 30, was identified by friends at PMI Hospital here several hours after he was found by residents of the Kebon Jahe subdistrict at kilometer 81 on Jl. Raya Puncak.

Cisarua police sources said the death was still under investigation.

A hospital spokesman, Misran, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that Ferry was a security guard for oil drilling company PT Santa Fe, based at Gedung Menara Mulia in South Jakarta.

Ferry's coworkers, and the people who found the body, presumed he had been hit by a vehicle in the early hours of Sunday.

They said they had heard car brakes and the sound of colliding vehicles at that time but had ignored the noise.

The victim's colleagues only noticed Ferry's absence at breakfast the next day.

Ferry was last seen late Saturday night, leaving his room in the villa the group had rented.

Police said they only found a small wound on the victim's head, which ants had swarmed all over by the time the body was found at about 8:00 a.m.

Preliminary evidence available at the scene revealed that there was no indication of premeditated killing. All accessories, including a wristwatch and shoes, worn by the victim were still on the body, which was clothed in black jeans and a white T- shirt.

"But there was only one Rp 1,000 (US 38 cents) bill in the victim's pocket," said Misran.

The corpse was released to the deceased's sister, Linda, at 11 p.m. Sunday, he said. (24/bsr)